costume trimmings

How to engage the slide show:

click on the first image on the left of the gallery below, then select the arrow at the bottom left of the enlarged image. Or you can manually go to the next slide by hovering your cursor on the middle right side then clicking the arrow that appears. Hover your cursor on the middle left side then click the arrow that appears to go backwards. Close the slide show or manual show by clicking the X button on the lower right of the image. (The image of each item is followed by an image of that item's back or reverse side.)

Acknowledgments, References and information for this category are at the bottom of this page.

Button Country

An Educational Resource for Button Collectors - originally created by Paul Rice

Div. IV Section 5 : Costume Trimmings

To download and print a pdf of the history and information about Costume Trimmings click here.

Some descriptions of these items may be cut off. Full descriptions can be seen in the slide show mode.

5-1 Back Types - Metal prong mounting
Ceramic Mounted in Metal - Paint DF (1-3/8")

5-1 Back Types - Two Shanks - Faceted and BM (2-1/2")

5-1 Back Types - Two shanks - Bakelite - Brass OME (2")

5-1 Back Types- 4 holes at edge
Colored Glass - Paint DF (1-3/8")

5-1 Back Types - Three shanks - Celluloid - Rhinestone OME (1-5/8")

5-1 Back Types - Three shanks - Rhinestone in metal (1-3/8")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes at edge
White Metal (2")

5-1 Back Types - - Two shanks - Glass Mounted in Metal (1-1/4")

5-1 Back Types - One tunnel hole
Vegetable Ivory -(1-1/4") Could be segment of a bracelet except for single tunnel and delicate edge

5-1 Back Types - Two holes at top
Shell - Dye DF 1/2")

5-1 Back Types - One Shank at top
White metal with attached steels (2")

5-1 Back Types - No shanks - Fabric - Paste OME (1-1/2")

5-1 Back Types - Two shanks - Faceted contour shape (2")

5-1 Back Types - two holes not at edge - Celluloid - Most likely used as hat trim (4-1/2")

5-1 Back Types - Four holes on edge - Brass (2-1/4 x 1-1/4")

5-1 Back Types - Two shanks - Silver (1-3/4")

5-1 Back Types - Three shanks - Turquoise mounted in metal (1-1/2 ")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes at top - Brass - Paint DF (5/8")

5-1 Back Types - Three shanks - Celluloid - Paint DF (2")

5-1 Back Types - Three Shanks - Bakelite - Paint DF (2-1/4 x 1-5/8")

5-1 Back Types - Two shanks - White Metal - Engraved (2-1/4")

5-1 Back Types - Four holes Carved Antler (1-1/8")

5-1 Back Types - Three shanks - Celluloid - Paint/Pastes (4-1/4 x 3-3/4")

5-1 Back Types - One shank - Wired Black Glass (2-1/4")

5-1 Back Types - One shank - Wired Black Glass (2" )

5-1 Back Types - One shank - Wired Black Glass (1-5/8" )

5-1 Back Types - One shank - Wired Black Glass (2-1/8" )

5-1 Back Types - Two holes at edge - Colored Glass (3/4")

5-1 Back Types - Two shanks - Silver (1-3/4")

5-1 Back Types - One hole - Bakelite - Questionable - could be charm or pendent (1")

5-1 Back Types - Three shanks - Faceted Black Glass - Linear Shape (1-3/4")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes at top - Shell (3/4")

5-1 Back Types - Thumb screw - Celluloid (1-7/8")

5-1 Back Types - Four shanks - Bakelite - Brass OME (3-1/2")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes at top - Glass - Paint DF (3/4")

5-1 Back Types - Three Shanks - yellow metal - Realistic Shape (2-1/4x1-1/2")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes at top - Transfer on Ceramic - Limoges BM (1-1/4")

5-1 Back Types - Two shanks - Ceramic - Paint DF (1-1/4")

5-1 Back Types - Two shanks - Paste in Metal (1-7/8")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes - Painted Glass - Gold Paint on Back (1/2")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes at top - Back Painted Glass (3/4")

5-1 Back Types - Three shanks - Synthetic Polymer in Metal - BM "Fabrikant" (1-3/4")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes - Black Glass with Gold Luster - Realistic (1-3/4x1-1/4")

5-1 Back Types - Seven holes - Silver paint on Celluloid (1-3/4")

5-1 Back Types - Two shanks - Pastes on Painted Metal (1-1/4")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes on top - Dyed Vegetable Ivory (1/2")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes on top - Gold Paint on Red Glass (3/4")

5-1 Back Types - Three shanks - Pastes on celluloid (3-1/4")

5-1 Back Types - Two shanks - Rhinestones in white metal (3/4")

5-1 Back Types - Three shanks - Silver painted Celluloid - Shape - Linear (3-5/8")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes - Steel on Brass (1-1/4")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes - Celluloid in metal - Oval shape (1-1/2")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes - Faceted black glass - Contour Cone shape (1x1-1/4")

5-1 Back Types - Single internal tunnel from nose to tail - Celluloid - Realistic shape (1-3/8")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes - Blue Glass - Mercury Back - Linear Shape (7/8")

5-1 Back Types - Four holes - Shell -Realistic Shape (2-1/2x1-1/4")

5-1 Back Types - Four holes - Bakelite - - Realistic Shape(1-3/4")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes at top - Plastic - Realistic Shape (5/8")

5-1 Back Types - One off-center shank - Faceted Black Glass - Realistic shape (1-3/8")

5-1 Back Types - One hole at top - 1899 Copper Penny - Possible curtain weight or sewn into dress hem (7/8")

5-1 Back Types - Two holes - 1874 Silver/Nickel Coin - Probably for jewelry (3/4")

5-1 Back Types - Two Prongs near edge - Shoe Trim - Bakelite on Metal (2")

Peasant silver trim examples

Trim salesman sample card

Trim used on a belt

Trim on 18th Century French jacket

Trim on 19th Century overcoat

Back to Related Specialties

Acknowledgements: Thanks to those collaborators who made examples from their collections available for the images shown on this pages. They include Barbara Barrans, Lou Yeargain, Lynn Kulikowski, Adrienne Bennett, Susannah Jordan, Sharon Braund, Pat Koehler, Janet Gerhardt, Petra Williams, Jeff Lee, and Marcia Hoel. Special thanks to Jane Perry, author of A Collectors Guide to Peasant Silver Buttons for images and input related to the button/trim shown on linked pages. Others who contributed reviews, comments and support included Elizabeth Hughes, Gary Brockman, Pat Fields, Anne Guba, Kevin Kinne, Karen Farnsworth, Joanne Fournier, Ronnie Wexler, Tami Hacker, Vickie Roberts, Willa Mercer, and Gwen Niemisto.

A special thanks to Joan Lindsay & Joy Journeay for their expert editing skills!

References:

(1) National Button Society Blue Book - Official NBS Classification and Competition Guidelines

(2) The Big Book of Buttons by Elizabeth Hughes and Marion Lester. Boyertown, PA: Boyertown Publishing Company, 1981

(3) The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art